BY JANES REYES
In the heart of downtown El Paso, EPCC students and the community of El Paso can seek affordable health services at the Rio Grande Border Health Clinic.
With the help of Patricia Schanaberger, a Nurse Practitioner, and supervision under Dr. Barbara Reeves, the clinic opened and is accessible to EPCC students and the El Paso community. The clinic has been serving the community for 20 years.
“Our main focus has always been to provide quality services to the community, students, and staff,” said Carolina Rios De La Cruz, from the clinic.
The health clinic knows how important it is to provide care at an accessible price, and the affordable pricing has the clinic in high demand over the last few years.
The clinic offers many affordable services including:
· Nursing Services
· Physical Therapist Assistant Services
· Dental Program Services
· Sonography Services
· Cardiac Sonograms
Rios De La Cruz said the health clinic’s main goal is to help the community, as well as EPCC students.
The Rio Grande Health Clinic also serves EPCC students by providing nursing students the opportunity to help in the clinic while under supervision. This helps the students meet their pre-clinical requirements and provides opportunities to students in any medical program.
Rosita Caballero was a Montwood High School phlebotomy student for the 2023 Fall semester.
Caballero said she was able to work hands-on at the clinic and practice drawing blood from fake arms, before moving up to the next step and drawing blood from other students.
After the medical students complete a certain number of successful drawing sticks they can draw blood from volunteers.
After completing lab hours and passing multiple tests, the students can move on to clinicals.
Clinicals are when the students can be proactive in the health clinic.
Medical students are then allowed to do non-specimen tests, for example, urine, breath, and stool tests on real patients.
By the end of the semester, if the medical students had 100 successful blood drawing sticks and 25 dermal sticks, they are eligible to become certified phlebotomists.
Officials at the clinic said that if students need help with their medical program, the health clinic is a place that offers help.
For specific pricing on clinical services visit: https://www.epcc.edu/Services/RGBHC. At the moment they are not taking any insurance.